Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-12-28
THE ERA or ST. Na.
Expressions Which send the Crosp1 Up
the Purist's Hack.

~ q
Impressions whic,, send the cresyS Up
the Purist,s Hack.
The era Of slang is upon us with a
breadth that is almost appalling. Not
only the slang that might be defined
as the burlesque or colloquial form Of
expression. the language of low humm,
or the jargon Of thieves and vagrarhs.
but a species that is almost as repre-
hensible. It will not do to apologize
forit by saying that .'slang is probably
as old as human speech" and that the:
early writers INDUCED in il, especially
the Greek and Roman dramatists; and
while we may speak and write against
the pernicious habit. we suspect that
we will not grow Disguised enosgh
with it to thoroughly uprnot it until it
has reached its climax. The worst fact
about it is that it is not confined 10 the
low and the iliterate, but has invaded
the public schools, cultured society,
and the literature of our books. admit
that some of the slang expressions
are forcible and full of adequaseness,
among which I might name fired
out, y colossal cheek" etc. SIN, even
they ought to be tabooed.
But what excuse can possibly be Of
fered for such words as "galloot,' - '.sar-
dine," ''chump." ''kicker,' ''kid,''
etc? Or such expressions as '']st her
20, Gallagher" ''Waltzed off on lbs
ear" Il should snicker," '.Now ysa're
shoutin'." etc. They are scarcely en-
phatic, and certainly not polite. Even
the fair sex have caught the infection
and speak about Ibis royal nibs'' or
the "howling SWELL" The gira of to-
day is ready to ''bet her bottom sef-
lar" wants to know "whst YOU'RE
givin' her," lets you know that you are
"off your base,'' and insists that yen
shall "come off," ''vamose," '.skedad-
de-" ''absquatulate," and all that
You do her slight favor and she ex-
claims: 20, thanks. awfullyT Why
she should thank you with reverend
fear" is beyond your comprehension.
Ask her to sing your sentimental bal
lad and she will probably say: 20,
really, Mr.. 49,, I cawn't. It's too
utterly too-toor'
While playing lawn-tennis with her
she suddenly cries out: 20. you've
given me such a twist" You ieel ex-
ceedingly alarmed; you are afraid her
collar bone is broken or that at least
her wrist has been dislocated. You
discover, however, that it is but tennis
slang and that your sympathy has been
wasted. She confidently tells yen that
Jennie Somebody is mo geedo and
had the ''cheek'' to propose to
scratch her at the meeting of the
club, because she hadn't ''forkea ever''
the ''spondoolicks'' for the last omar
ter. All that is to be deprecated but
the girls, heaven bless them, hook
so pretty, and use the terms 50 art}ess-
ly. that haven't the heart to be severe
in my reproof.
1t isn't pleasant to be accasted by
ones tive-y ear-old hopeful as '':sn old
snoozer." or to know that he is lyingin
wait to ''knock the stuffn''' ssk Of
neighbours boy, or to ''wipe up the
floor" with him. Or to hear our short
sighted but high-spirited daughter tell
the aforesaid brother that she wishes
the other boy would 'paste him on the
snoot," Or ''knock him clean out the
box or 'into the middle Of pe1t
week" don't know that am espee-
tally sensitive. and yet must say that
such expressions send the creeps up my
back.
The editor '.swings a nasty qui1l;''
the hired girl is ''pot wrestler" when
a thing suits us it's lust the cheese
when too noisy we are told to dry up
or to ':suspend;" when cunningly on
the alert we say ''not if the court knows
ITSELF" if one day is not available
''s'mother one'' is; when We die we
''pass in our checks are put away
on ice," and are finally planted. So
l might go on ad intinitum. You can
think, l am sure, of at least hundred
words and phrases to which I have
made no reference. For inventing cute
words and phrases our country leads
the procession. They are clever and
appropriate, get into the topical song,
the public 'catch on" and they i've
and thrive, and in many instances the
dictionary finally legitimizes them.
Slang. insist. is The fungus on the
stem. 1t is not the grated fruit; It is
the scum Of language. 1t often be-
Titles; it never beauties. If we all
spoke and wrote in d less exaggerated
manner we would be less exaggerated
in our ways Of life and thought Life,
as we'll as speech. would perhaps grow
more simple, more true, more worth
Observation-Disclosures Call.
Counterfeiting Gangs.
Our readers should perhaps be cal-
%;ono1 a uosuet s.ocNOndinu in aNV WAV